Door closing and checking mechanism.



A. H. LONBOM d'. G. R. RODGERS.

DOOR CLOSING AND CHECKING MECHANISM. APPLICATION EILEDAUGJ?. 191,4. RENEwED MN. 8. 191s.

1,177,641 Patented Apr. 4, 1916".vvv

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Mmmm i 772,65); War/561% A. H. LONBQM L G. R. RODGERS. Doos cLosmG AND cHEcKmG MEQHANlsM. APPLICATION ILED AUG.7| 94. RENEWED IAN. s |915.

1,177,641 Patented Apr. 4, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THB COLUMBIA PMNOURAPH C0., WASHINGTON. D. C."

Unrrnn STATES Aiwlrinfr outros.

AXEL I-I. LON'BOM .AND GEORGE R. RODGiERS, 0F DANVILLE, ILLINOIS.

DOOR CLOSING AND CHECKING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

Application filed August 17, 1914, Serial 110,857,126. Renewed January 8, 1916. Serial No. 71,134.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, AXEL H. LoNBoM and GEORGE R. Rouenns, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Danville, county of Vermilion, and State of Illinois, have invented `certain new and useful improvements in Door Closing and Checking Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to door-closing and checking mechanism and has for its object the production of mechanism of this character which will be of durable and economical construction, efficient in operation, and which will permit the door to be opened in either direction and will close the same with certainty but without violence. Other Aobjects will appear hereinafter. With these objects in view our invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter describedV and 5 is a top plan 'view of the construction shown in Fig. et, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged section taken on line y-g/ of Fig..4.

Y The preferred form of construction as illustratedl in the drawing is applied to a swinging door 1 which is mounted in a door frame or casing 2. The swinging connection between the door 1 and frame 2 is of.

the usual type at the lower edge of the door, and `hence is not shown, the connection be.- tween theupper edge of the door and said frame comprising a spindle 3 fixed against rotation at its upper` end in a plate 4 which is secured rigidly to the adjacent side of frame 2. The lower end of spindle 3 projects into the upper enlarged end portion 5 of a cylinder 5 which is secured in the door 1, said end of said spindlebeing loosely or'rotatively engaged by a plate 6 secured by screws 7 in the cylinder portion 5. The arrangement is-such, as will be s een that, in the operation of the door the latter swings about the spindle 3 as a center.

Formed at the lower end of spindle 3 is a segmental bevel gear 8. Arranged below the gear 8 and at either side thereof are segmental bevel gears9 and 9 connected together by means of an integral hub 10, said gears 9 and 9 being mounted for free osciling of the door in the opposite direction from closed position, the' .gear 9 will be engaged with the gear 8 and be correspondingly oscillated by the latter in order to effect corresponding upward rocking. of the arms 12. Thus itY will be seen that swinging of the door in either direction from closing position results in upward rocking being imparted to arms 12.V

The outer ends of arms l2 are connected by means of a link 13 with a piston l111 which is mounted for reciprocation in cylinder 5, the arrangement being such that uponH oscillation of arms 12 as just described, reciprocatory movement will be imparted to said piston.

The gears S, 9 and 9 Yare so arranged that i when the 'gears 9 and 9 are in neutral position that is out of engagement with the gear 8, the piston 14 is positioned at its lower terminal of movement in cylinder 5 and the door. is in closed position. Interposed between the upper side of said piston and a plate 15 secured in the upper side of cylinder 5 is' a helical compression springV 16 which exerts a pressure 'tending to normally hold said piston at its lower terminal of movement and hence the door in closed position, swinging of thedoor to open position, which results in'V upwardV movement of the piston, being resisted by the pressure of said spring.

In practice the interior of the member 5 5 is filled with oil' or other suitable fluid which is adapted, upon reciprocation of the piston 14 to pass from one side thereoi to the other. Said piston Vis provided with an opening 17 which is controlled by a ball valve 18, said valve being so Varranged as to permit Y of ready flow of the oil through said passage from the upperlto 'the lower side of the piston upon upward movement of the latter but to prevent flow in the opposite direction upon return movementJ of the piston as will be readily understood. F or the regulation of the flow of oil during the downward movement of the piston, a rod 19 is provided the lower end of which passes loosely through a passage 20 formed in said piston. The upper end of said rod is secured by means of a head 21 to the member 6 against longitudinal movement butI in such a manner as to permit of rotative adjustment of said rod when desired, the 'periphery of said head being knurled for this purpose. The rod 19 is cut away at one side to form a slot 22 which is adapted, upon movement of piston 14, to register with the passage 2O and thus afford coinmunication between the opposite sides of the piston to permit of the passage of the oil from the lower to the upper side thereof. TheA slot is of graduated depth as shown being of greatest depth at its upper end so that in the downward movement of the piston, as the latter approaches its downward terminal of movement, the flow of oil from the lower tothe upper side of the piston will begradually restricted. Leading from the lower end of the slot 22 is a very narrow passage 23 which registers with the upper end of a by-passage 2l leading from the lower or pressure side of piston 14. The upper end of passage 23 is so positioned that the same will register with the 'upper end of passage 24 when the door is about a foot from its closed position in which event the lower end of passage 20 will be closed through registration with the unslotted lower end of rod 19 so that the only communication between the upper and lower sides of the piston will be through passage 2l and slot 23 which will obviously result in a maximum restriction in the flow of the oil from one side of the piston to the other during the last foot of movement of the door. Violent closing of the door is thus prevented. The flow from slot 23 through passage 24E is further regulated through rotative adjustment of rod 19 which is afforded by the head 21, it being clear that upon such adjustment the size of the upper end of passage 2.4 will be enlarged or diminished through the full or partial registration of the slot 23 therewith.

The form shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is the same as that described except that instead of the lower end of slot 22 communicating vwith a restricted slot 23, the former is tapered down to a very small depth at its lower end or to the point 25 and from this point to the point 26 a straight slot of very small or limited depth is formed for registration with the upper end of the passage '24, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6. Also in this'form a screw 27 threaded in the portion 5 is provided for rotatively adjusting the rod 19, the inner end of said screw loosely engaging with the o'uterrbifurcated endV of of said rod as shown in Fig. 5. With this arrangement it will be seen that rotative adjustment of said rod is effected by adjustment of screw 27, said screw serving to posi- V an arm 2S projecting from the upper end tively lock said rod in its position of rotaV e tive adjustment. Vith a construction as set forth it will be seen that little resistance is offered in the Y.

swinging of the door to open position,:in which movement of the door the piston moves upwardly; but that in the closing movement of the door, Vthe resistance will be increased by reason of the restriction of the iiow of the oil from thelower to the upper sideof the piston, in the downward movement of the latter, soas to prevent too .rapid closing of the door, the maximum resistance being reached when the door is within substantially a foot of its closed position which serves to arrest the door as the Having described our invention whatwe claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A doo-r closer and check comprising a stationary spindle about which the door is adapted to swing; a. cylinder carried bv the door; a piston mounted Vfor reciprocation inV said cylinder; a segmental gear on saidV spindle: an oscillato-ry shaft; an operative connection between said shaft and said piston whereby the latter is reciprocate'd through oscillation of said shaft; and an operative connection between said shaft and said segmental gear whereby said shaft will Y be oscillated upcn swinging of the door, the Y y last menticned connection comprising a pair of segmental gears on said shaft at eitherV side of said first mentioned gear and adapted fer meshing with the latter during swinging of the door in either direction, substantially Y.

as described. j

2. A door closer and check comprising a stationary spindle about which the door is adapted to swing; a cylinder carried by the door; a pisttn mounted for reciprocation in said cylinder: a segmental gear on said spinY` dle; Van oscillatory shaft; an arm oiisaid shaft; a link connecting said arm with said iatVV piston whereby the latter is reciprocated through oscillation of saidshaft; and an operative connection between said shaft and 3. A door closing and checking mechanism comprising a cylinder containing fluid;

a piston mounted in said cylinder and adapted to be reciprocated in said cylinder upon swinging of the door; a passage in said piston through which the fluid in said cylinder may pass from one side of said piston to the other; means comprising a stationary rod passing loosely through said passage having a slot in one side thereof for regulating the flow of fluid through said passage, said slot being of graduated depth whereby the flow of fluid through said passage will be restricted as said piston nears a position in said cylinder wherein the door is closed; and a by-passage in said piston of comparatively minute diameter communicating at one end with the pressure side of said piston and registering at its opposite side with the slrtted side of said rod, substantially as described.

Il. A door closing and checking mechanism comprising a cylinder containing fluid; a piston mounted in said cylinder and adapted to be reciprocated in saidcylinder upon swinging of the door; a passage in said piston through which the fluid in said cylinder may pass from one side of said piston to the other; means for regulating the flow of fluid through said passage, said means comprising a rod fixed against longitudinal movement but adapted for rotary adjustment, said rod having a slot in one side thereof of graduated depth whereby the flow of fluid through said passage will be restricted as said piston nears a position in said cylinder wherein the door is closed; a by-passage in said piston of comparatively minute diameter communicating at one `end with the pressure side of said piston and registering at its opposite end with the slotted side of said rod; and means for rotatively adjusting said rod to regulate the size of the end of said by-passage registering with said rod, substantiallyl as described.

5. A door closing and checking mechanism comprising a cylinder crntaining fluid; a piston mounted in said cylinder and adapted to be reciprocated in said cylinder upon swinging of the door; a passage in said piston through which thefluid in said cylinder may pass from one side of the piston to the other; means for regulating the flow of fluid through said passage, said means .comprising a lrod fixed against-longitudinal movement but adapted for rotary adjustment, said rod having a slot in one side thereof thro-ugh which the fluid may pass from one sideof said piston to the other; a ley-passage in said piston of comparatively minute. diameter communicating at one end with the pressure side of said piston and registering at its opposite end with the slo-ttedside of said rod; and a screw for rotatably adjusting said rod to regulate the size of the end of said by-passage registering with said rod, substantially as described.

G. A door closing and checking mechanism comprising a cylinder containing fluid; a piston mounted in said cylinder and adapted to be reciprocated in said cylinder upon swinging of the door; a passage in said piston through which the fluid in said cylinder may pass from one side of the piston to the other; means for regulating the flow of fluid through said passage, said means comv prising a rod xed against longitudinal movement but adapted for rotary adjustment, said rod having a slot in one side thereof through which the fluid may pass from one side of said piston to the other: a by-passage in said piston of comparatively minute diameter communicating at one end with the pressure side of said piston and registering at its opposite end with the slotted side of said rod: a laterally projecting arm on said rod; and a screw engaging with said arm for rotatably adjusting said rod to regulate the size of the end of said by-passage registering with said rod, substantially as described.

7. A door closing and checking mechanism comprising a cylinder containing fluid; a

piston mounted iny said cylinder and adapted to be reciprocated in said cylinder upon swinging of the door; a passage in said piston through which the fluid in said cylinder may pass from one side of the piston to the other; means for regulating the flow of fluid through said passage, said means comprising a rod fixed against longitudinal movement but adapted for rotary adjustment,

. said rod having a slot in one side thereof through which the fluid may pass from one side of said piston to the other: a by-passa ge in said piston of comparatively minute diameter Communicating at one end with the pressure side of said piston and registering at its opposite end with the slotted side of said rod; a laterally projecting arm on said rod having a bifurcated outer end: and a screw threaded in said cylinder and having a circumferential groove at its inner cnd engaging in the bifurcation of said projecting arm for rotatably adjusting said rod toregulate the size of the end of said by-nassage registering with said rod, substantially as described.

Y 8.v In ador check, the eor'nbinati f shaft, a piston operable by sid shaft', a rod having main :i'rid auxiliary cut-Out portions and mounted t0 pojct through said piston, .5 aid a bj-pass inid piston communicating with said auxiliary cut-Out, substantially as described.

In testimony Wherof We have signe'd our names te this spc'icti in the presence of if two subslcribing Witnesses.

AXELH- LONBOM A. GEORGE R. RODGERS. Witns'se:

HEUER, JOE BOH'L.

Copis of this patent may be obtained for fiveY cents each, by addressing the Comm'isioner of Patents, Wsiligton, D. C. 

